Car brake



Ma 22 1927' A. F. KLASING GAR BRAKE Filed March 1. 1923 3,Sheets-Sheet 1 March 22 1927.

A. F. KLASING CAR BRAKE Filed March 1, 1923 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 z/ wn v l ll 1 $1 lll I 5 PWWIWI III I. y 7 x ll 1 March 22,1927. 1,621,844

A. F. KLASING CAR BRA-XE Filed March 1, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

pairs stares as Na" .-.-iF.-ir-rca.

.AUGUS'IUS F. KLASING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 T l-IE KLaA slN-G .CAR BRAKE COMPANY, -A CORE'OBA'I-ION O1? GOLORADO.

"GAR BRAKE.

Application filed 'March 1, I923. Serial No; 622,009.

-My invention relates to mechanism for manipulating the brakes ot' a railway car of the *type involving a hand lever which is operated by repeated oscillatory movein'ents to set the brakes hy raising step by step-a substantially verticallyarranged rack bill, "or equivalent element to which the brake beams are connected by suitable transunission -1116Cl1l11l$111. er thisgeneraltype is'sh'own in Patent No. "rampart, grant-ed to me on June 20, 1922 in my own cogpen'ding application Serial No. 53-3369 filed February 1, 1922.

The general purpose of I the present invention is to provide further changes in the construction andarrangementof the parts of the apparatus'with a'view'to-making certain improvementsin the apparatus. These improvements comprise an arrang-einentot the operating lever of the apparatus diagonally across therack which it raises so that if the lever is bent the lirakes canstill be operated and- .so that=the weight of the lever by holding it against a suitably arranged stop. prevents the lever from swinging with the weavingmovements of the canes isthe case when the lever hangs 'i reely ina vertical position; the construction of the housing and rack and an arrangementof the rack audits operating pinionin the'housing which whileallowing the ready assembly-oi these parts moved without detachment first of the hrake connections from-theracl; and the removal of the rack from the housing; an improved and: simplified construction ditthe mechanism for holding therack-i'n elevated positions which eliminates lost motion "when flthe de- "tent engages the rack, which reduces friction to insure freedom and certainty of action of the parts and lessens wear, and which makes it impossible for'a careless workman to assemble these parts in any but their proper operative relationship; a novel con struction of the pinion for raising "the rack whereby this element is made stronger and fmore durable and the manufacturing cost o'fthe same reduced yand an improvement in the device for changing the upward vertical pull of the rack to a horizontal pull on the ibrake rigging under the car, whereby the leverage of the apparatus is increased at Car brake apparatus prevents the pinion from being repanying drawings wherein 1 is a fragmentary sec'tiorral -elevation of the brake mechanism of any invention shown as applied to "the end 'of a =railw-ay ear, the upper part of the 'figu'rebeing in a plane oblique "to the end o't the car, to better illustrate this part of "the mechanism which is obliquely arranged on F the car -=wall, while the lower portion of the 'fi gu're is on "a plane at right angles {to the end wall-of =the car.

Fig. 2 is a =r'ragme'nta'ry; end'elevation-of 'the upper part of the "brake mechanismyin a planeat right angles to the plane of the upper portion of Fig. '1, this figure showing 'what may *he termed a front side "of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is alragment'ary View, in'persp'ee- -tive,'of "the rear 'orinner side ofthe'apparatus shownas though removed from the car wall.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal, sectional *viewo'f the brake setting mechanism and its housing, takenon fin-9M4 o f Fig. *5.

Fig. 5 is 'a "sectional-plan on line 5 5 'of Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is "a plan view "o'tthehousin'gand the operating lever.

"Fig. -7 is -a-view, in perspective, of the upper end of the lever with its rack 'operating pinion removed.

Fig. 8 isa fragmentary VlGWflDClGVal ZlOII,

takenon line.88 of Fig. 5.

i the pinion is rotated.

the rack and raise the rack.

that the apparatus is not limited to applica tion to a box car but may be used on railway cars of any type. 12 designates a housing which is formed with lugs 13, 14, and 15 for securing it to the car wall 10. 16 is a rack bar which extends upwardly through the housing 12, is adapted to project through an opening 17 in the top of the housing, and is formed, preferably, with a head 18 which closes this openin when the rack bar is in its normal or lowermost position. The car may be provided with any suitable form of brake rigging under its deck consisting of the usual brake beam and equalizers for moving the brake shoes against and away from the wheels of the car. This rigging,

.which will ordinarily be provided with a compressed air actuated mechanism for operating it, is al=o operable by a chain 19 and this chain, which in the common type of railway car hand brake mechanism is attached to andwinds upon the end of a revoluble brake staff on the end of the car, in the brake manipulating apparatus of my invention is connected, by suitable transmission mechanism, with the rack bar 16. My present invention is not concerned with this transmission mechanism which is shown, however, for the purpose of illustrating my present improvements in an operative brake setting apparatus and consists of a rod 20 loosely connected with the lower end of rack bar 16, a rocking element 21 to which chain 19 is attached and upon the curved surface 22 of which the chain bears when rack bar 16 is raised to rock element 21, and a channeled bracket 23, the under surface of which is in the form of a rack 24 engaged by a pinion 25 on the rocking element so that as angular movement is imparted to element 21 it also moves forwardly and downwardly, that is to say, rolls on the rack 24, to increase the take-up of the brake connections.

The rack bar 16 is raised by meansof a mutilated pinion 26, the teeth 27 of which engage with teeth 28 on one edge of the rack bar, pinion 26 being fixed to the upper end of an operating lever 29 by means of which The pinion is mounted in a housing so that it is movable vertically as well as capable of rotation. hen the outer end of the lever 29 is raised the pinion is rotated to engage the teeth 28 of v The upward swinging movement of the lever can be stopped at any point and a detent 30 having a tooth 31 will engage one. or other of the holding teeth 32 on the back of the rack to hold the rack in its elevated position. The operator then drops the lever, which of its weight swings back to hanging position. The pinion, and with it the lever, are raised as the pinion rotates in the backward direction,the pinion climbing up the rack until the pinion teeth are freed from the rack teeth. Pinion and lever then fall to their normal positions.

The pinion 26 consists preferably of a drop forging and is formed at one end with a tapered gudgeon or journal 33 adapted to slide in a closed slot in the form of a tapered channel 34. formed in the back wall 35 of housing 12, the journal finding a bearing in the curved bottom surface 36 of the channel. The pinion is also formed with a preferably cylindrical bearing 37 which has vertical movement in a slot 38 in the front wall 39 of housing 12, the lower surface of this slot being curved, as indicated at 10, to provide a bearing for the journal 37 when the pinion is rotated in engagement with the rack bar 16. Outwardly ofjournal 37 is a portion 11 square in cross section and slightly tapered to fit into acorresponding opening 42 in the upper end of the operating lever 29, and a stud 43 on the squared portion 41 extends through a corresponding opening 4st in the lever and is riveted over on the outer face of the lever, as indicated at 4-5. In manufacturing the pinion the teeth 27 are cut. The pinion is then treated to harden it, trunnions as well as the teeth being hardened, and the stud 4:3 is annealed so that it may be riveted over on the lever.

The detent 30 is non-rotatably mounted on a rock shaft 46 which extends through an enlargement 47 of the housing and is formed with journals 48, 49 turning in bearings in the front and rear walls of the housing, and with a center portion 50, the upper, lower and inner surfaces of which are flat while the outer side 51 is formed with a curved projection extending to a point further from the axis of rotation 52 of the rock shaft (Fig. 4) than the front surface of this part of the shaft. The detent is formed with a jaw 54 having a configuration corresponding to the middle portion 50 of the rock shaft so that the detent may be nonrota-tably engaged with the rock shaft without the use of any fastening devices. The detent is held on the shaft by the rack bar 16, the inner edge of which stands immediately in front of the detent. The rack bar is formed on this face with two lugs 56 on opposite sides of the series of teeth 32 adapted to bear against lugs 57 on the detent when the rack is in its lowermost position, the engagement of these lugs throwing the nose 31 of the detent against the inclined surface 58 of the uppermost holding tooth 32. The middle portion 50 of the rock shaft is greater in width than in vertical dimension so that in assembly of the parts there is only one possible position of the detent on the rock shaft. A careless workman cannot make any mistake in assembling the parts. To prevent the rock shaft from being inserted through the casing from the wrong side the journal 49 thereof is formed with its upper surface flatyastindioated=at=59 (Fig. 8) and the=correspondingbearing 'inthe casing is formed with a dependinglug 6'1 '-Wl1lCl1 projects toward the flattened surface This allows the shaft to rock as far as is necessary.

Thechannel-Stinwhich the journal of the pinion 26 moves is formedat its-upper end with anoifsetorenlargement 62 on the side ad acent to the raekl-iar and-the slotBS in the front Weill of thehousing is formed at its upper end and on the sameside 'With a'n-enlargcment 68. Bythis arrangement the pinion may be put in plaee in the housing; before the-rack bar is assembled.

The latter isput intothe houslng-through-the opening 17in thetop thereof afterthe detent has been placed on the rock shaft. TherodQO is then attached-tothe lowerend ot the rack oar, *red 20 having a l heed 6 k .i'illowingz;

this connection -to 'be made when the rod is turned at rightan'gles from its normal position. The rod, however, cannot be disconnected fromthe-rack her when in its normal position, that is, when pivoted to the ron-king transmission element 21 with the latter mounted on the ear body.

The rack bar is formed above its teeth 28 'with a rib ivhih prevents the pinion from dieing; 'WllZhdIflWIl through the enlargement 63 so long-as the rae'k bar is in place in the housing. PinionQG is formed just inside of the journal 37 'ivith 'a boss 66 adapted to bear against the "front Wall of the housing along fying the eonstruotion of the parts, minirnizing their number and allowing 'all of the parts to be made heavy and-strong, the apparatus 1s protected w against bemg tampered 'ivith by'unshilled 'orina'liei'ous persons. Ap-

paratus'desiggnedto be placed upon a freight carshouldalways be guarded agamst being tamper-ed KV-ltll maliciously and. against attempts to make repairs or adjustments bv persons who have not the skill-to make such repairs oradjustments.

The rook shaft is held at one limit or the other of its rotation so as to maintain the detent in engagement with or out of engage- ,IT1QHt WllZh tl1Q' holding teeth 32 of-the rack barley means ofa weighted trip '67 which is :revolubly mounted directly upon the journal 48 of the rock shaft. This direct mounting of the weight minimizes 'lrir-ition bar I6. I :111 the Ifirst place, if the .ihan'dle 'is bent, (as

:so as'to insure proper operation o'f thetrip particularly when ithe CletBlTt is :autonratt eally :reset in :themranner to be hereinafter =deseribed.

The Weight is formed With an arcuate lug 68 which isatlapted to bear-against o11e=.end orthetother' 0t anarcuate lug 69 onlthc'head 70 [Of th'eiroek shaft, Ktheweight @being T8- .cessedyasiintlioatediat f7 1,"tor therhead.

lhe a1ever 29 .is :formedaat its dipper end with we stop lug 17.2 adapted Lto %bear against ashoulder 73 on the housing 12. 'llhe handle portion 7.4 oi ithe =lever isarranged zobliquely to the upper portion of the lever so :that

with Isto lu .72 bear-in aoainst shoulder 43 the handle portion {0t the-lever fexten'ds i'che o'irall 1 across and i111 ifront :01 :the rack b r a 'l'ln's arrangementahas'tWo" purposes.

may zha p pen considering that the apparatus is located, :orclinarily, on the send of racr'ailovay ear, the handle can still :he swung "to 'se't the *bralres which would not be possible if it hung down on th'e side ot' the raok lour to which it is'pivoted and were ib'ent ttar enough :so :as =to strtike against the :r'aek bar when :a swinging movement was attempted. in the SQGOIldPlfiCG,"theWelgllti'Of lllle oblique portion of the lever tends to' keep th'e lug 72 against the shoulder '78 :to prevent wibratory movements of the leverwlren the Operation (Figs. 1 to 8).The brakeman stands on a platform, or Ythe :like, ((not shown) arranged at a convenientIdistance the position to whic h =it hasbeen elevated 'While'the lever in swingingibaok towardrits original position rises Withthe pinion; as the latter climbs the rack bar until its teeth are "released from the rack bar, whereupon lever and pinion dropto their normal "iposition. To release the brakes *the tripping Weightis turned to position to throw the detent out of engagement With the holding teeth-ot the raok'har. This disengagement of the rack bar, -hoivever; does not take :place until the lever 29 *has been turned enough to engage the first tooth of the pinion with one of the rack bar'teeth and raise the-rack bar enough to release 'thepressure of the holding teeth on the detent. The Weight'67 then rooks the detent sufficiently todisengage the tooth thereof 'froni'the holding teeth 32 and the rack drops. 'lVhen the rack approaches the end of its down-Ward movement rior construction to the corresponding mechanism shown in the preceding figures in that it minimizes lost motion as between the detent and the rack bar holding teeth when the rack bar is released by the lifting mechanism. In the arrangement shown in Fi 9 the detent 75 is formed with a j aw 76 whlch, I in the operative position of the detent, 1s

disposed obliquely to the vertical, the shaft on which said detent is mounted, corresponding to shaft 54 of the preceding figures, being formed with a portion 77 of corresponding configuration. By employing this expedient for mounting the detent the detent does not have the tendency to rock forwardly under the downward thrust of the rack bar which is present, to a certain extent, in the holding mechanism previously described. It is a matter of some importance to minimize lost motion in engagement between the detent and the rack bar in order that approximately full power of the brake mechanism may be exerted against the brakes while the shoes are held in locked engagement with the wheels of the car.

With the same end in view, and also to make it easier to release the rack from the detent by diminishing the amount of upward movement of the rack necessary to effect such release, the upper edge of the detent, instead of being made horizontal, for the normal position of the detent, as shown in Fig. 4, is given a downward inclination as indicated at 75 in Fig. 9, and the under surfaces 32 0f the teeth 32 on the rack bar-57 are inclined downwardly in the direction away from the detent. By this configuration of the detentand holding teeth the engagement of the detent with the teeth and its disengagement therefrom, do not involve raising the rack so high as is necessary with the construction shown in Fig. 4. The difference is slight, but is a matter of importance since it is desirable to hold the brakes as firmly as possible against the wheels when the brakes are set. Also in releasing the brakes very considerable power is required to raise the rack in any case, and

the shorter the distance it has to move the less force will be required.

The lower part of Fig. 1 shows a device, which has been described in a cursory man ner, for translating the vertical movement of rod 20 and rack bar 16 into a substantially horizontal pull on the chain 19 connected'with the brake rigging under the car, and Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a modification of and improvement upon the power transmitting mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Referrin first to Fig. l,it will be seen that the effective length of the member 21, considered as a lever of the second class, is diminished as the lever is drawn down rack 24. If the point of attachment of the load to the lever (bearing point of chain 19 thereon) remained fixed the'power exerted on the brake rigging under the car for a given force applied to member 21 by rod 20 would gradually increase with the rolling movement of member 21 toward its brake setting position. This would be objectionable since the amount of slack in the brake connections of different cars varies considerably so that the amount of force available for actually pressing the brake shoes against the wheels of the car would widely vary, depending upon the position of the member 21 at the time that the shoes come into contact with the wheels. Consequently the surface 22 over which chain 19 is flexed when the brake mechanism is operated to set the brakes, is calculated so as to compensate for the shortening of the length of the lever thereby maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the arms of the lever. Sufficient power is always available, therefore, to set the brakes effectively. In the arrangement shown in Fig. l the pinion 25 on member 21 is provided with a large tooth 78 which engages an enlarged recess 79 in the rack 23 when'the rack approaches the limit of its normal working movement. As a factor of safety the rack is provided below the large recess 79 with a pair of small teeth 80, but the intention is that the rack shall finish its movement while the large tooth 78 is in engagement with the recess 79 and the pitch line of the small teeth 80 is inclined at a less angle to the horizontal than the pitch line of the teeth 24 so that the pinion will have a pivotal movement of some amplitude on tooth 78. The tooth 78 and recess 79 are located on the pinion and rack so that, for most cars at least, the brake shoes will be brought against the wheels while the member 21 is pivoting on the tooth 78. The amplitude of pivotal movement- 15 enough to take care of any ordinary variations in the slack of the brake connections. In setting the brakes, therefore, the rolling movement of the pinion takes up the slack but when the shoes are forced against the wheels the movement of member 21 is a pivotal movement on tooth 78 in which friction is minimized. The contour of surface 22 over which chain 19 winds, is such as to maintain aconstant lever ratio so that in all positions of member 21 there is always suflicient power available to set the brakes effectively. This is true, approximately, but not exactly so far as the arrangement of Fig. 1 is concerned. WVhen recess 79 provides the fulcrum tor meinbcr 21 the e'licoti'velength of the lever is greater than it would he were tooth T8 and recess 79'tlio same size' as the smaller teeth and recesses. an e'deetive lengthening of the lever: with consequent: diminution of power on the brake 1 shoes; v 7

A better arrangement is shown in Figt l0. lere the large tooth, designated '81, is on: the-rack, which is designated 82,the' tooth being arranged between the upper and lower sets 01"? smaller teeth 83, 84 the-pitch lines of whiohrare at airaiigle toeaoh other. The pinion 85' on the power transmitting:mein ber 86 is formed: with a reoe-sso? to receive the large tooth S1 onthe rack: 3y. thiscon strnction'oh the rack: and pinion the change in lever ratio resultingfrom the: large tooth is saclr as to: increase -to a: certain extent, the power applied to the brakes, tor a given force on the other end of the transmitting member insteadofi decreasing'snch power as inthe: arrangement of 1. The winding surface 87. on elementfidhas the same con tour assurtacefifi, 0 f memben 21. The driterence in lever ratios at the time the brakes;

Fig: lO- while the: construction: of'Figzr ll is illustrated by dotted 111123;.

1:- claims:

1-;vIn; a mechanism for: manipulating brakes- 0f. a' railway car, the combination of a housing having a side: wallwprovided withn aniopening- -for-the passage. of pinion, a: rack bar slidably mounted within the llOLlS- ing upon one side of said openingandbeing:

provided? ati one end of its teeth: with i a longitudinally extending: obstructing portion; a mutilated pinionadapted: to be passed into the housingrthrouglrsaid opening: and to engage witlirtho-teeth of theraokbar, thelon gitndinal I obstructing element being: adapted toprevent the movementot thepinionin' a, direction to permit of its vithdrawah through said opening, means: for turning said" pinion and brake mechanism actuated by the movement of said rack bar.

2. A can brake comprising: a housing: hav- I inga longitudinal slot and an enlarged opening atone end of the slot tor; the passage ofapinion', a rack bar slidably mounted within the' housing upon oneside'ot theslot and opening, said rack bar having a longitudinal rib, arranged at th-e end of the set of teeth of the rack bar, a mutilated pinion having a shaft operating within said slot, said mutilated pinion being adapted to be passed intothe housingthrough the enlarged opening, the rib being adapted to prevent the movement of the pinion in a direction which would permit of its removal This results in is inposition in-the housing said rack b path of travel of" the pinion' to-- prevent the movement of the pinion which- Will 'ier mit of". its removal through said opening, means for bar at longitudinal niovementg; a brake rigging underneath the; car; and means ac tu ated by 'th'e move'inent ot sa-id fraolr bar" fb'r operating the-brake riggin 4-.- A car brake, comprising; housing; a; pinion revolubly mounted" iii sa'i-d housing' and movable" into and out of position through an opening in the wall o'f 'the' h'ons ing, a rack barslidable' from above into position to be operated by saicl-pii-i'ion after thepinion is in positionin the liousing, said rack; banhavinga part adapted to 'bc' ar ranged in the pathoftravel of the pinion to prevent the movement thereof which having a part adapted to be arranged in th'e rotating said pinion-tor giving said'racl? ion througlrsaid opening, means for rotat ing said pinion forgiving said rack bar a longitudinal movement, a brake' rigging underneath the i car, and operative connections between said brake rigging and the' low er end portion of said rack bar below said housing servi1ig, upon upward mov'ement of therack-'barto 1 set the brakes;

5 In niechanisn'i for" manipulating thebr-akes of a railway carthecombination'ot a housing, a -r'ack bar extendin substantial-- 1y vertically through said housing, and a pinion adapted tomesh with said rack: bar and formedi with journals; said hou'sing be ing formed witli slots to i receive said jour nalshaving enlargements: at their uppen ends in the directiontoward said rack ban to allow the'pinion to beplaced inthe lions-- ing, and a rack bar having-apart arranged in the'path of-travel of the pinion to pievent the movement of the pinion in a dir ing, a rack bar having a longitudinal part arranged in the path of travel of the pinion to prevent the movement of the pinion'in a direction which would permit of the removal of the pinion from the casing through said enlargements, holding, teeth on the rack bar, a detent to engage said holding teeth the back of which is formed with a jaw,

and a rock shaft journaled in said housingv having a portion extending through and non-rotatably engaged with the jaw of said detent.

7. In mechanism for manipulating the brakes of a railway car, the combination of a housing, a rack bar extending substantially vertically through said housing, a pinion to mesh with said rack bar formed at opposite ends with-journals, the inner wall of said housing being formed with a channel to receive one of said journals and the outer wall of the housing with a slot to receive the other of said journals, said recess and slot being formed at their upper ends with enlargements in the direction toward the rack bar and the rackbar having a longitudinal rib disposed in the path of travel of the pinion to prevent the movement of the pinion in a direction which would permit of the removal of the pinion from the housing through said enlargements.

8; In mechanism for manipulating the brakes of a railway car,the combination of a housing, a rack bar extending substantially vertically through said housing, an operating lever, and a pinion to mesh with said rack bar consisting of an integral forging comprising a middle toothed portion, journals, and a shank polygonal in cross section extending from oneof said journals and adapted to fit a correspondingly shaped recess in said lever, and formed with a stud adapted to extend through and be riveted to said lever.

9. A car brake, comprising a housing, a shaft extending through said housing, a detent provided with a socket slidable into position on said shaft from one side of the shaft, and a bar movable into position in said housing and having holding teeth in position for operative engagement by' said detent, said bar when in operative position serving to prevent the withdrawal of the detent from the shaft.

10. A car brake, comprising a housing, a rock shaft extending through said housing, a detent provided with a socket slidable into position on said shaft from one side of the shaft, said shaft and socket beingfitted together so as to cause the detent to swing upon rocking motion of the shaft, and a bar movable into position in said housing and having holding teeth in position for operative engagement by said detent, said bar when in operative position serving to prevent the withdrawal of the detent from the shaft.

11. A car brake, comprising a housing, a pinion revolubly mounted in said housing and movable into and out of position through an opening in the wall of the housing, a shaft extending through said housing opposite the normal position of said pinion, a detent provided with a socket slidable into position on said shaft from one side of the shaft, a rack bar movable into position between said pinion and said detent after they are in position in the housing so as to have operative engagement with the pinion and serving in such position to prevent the withdrawal of the pinion and the detent from the housing, holding teeth on said rack bar in position for operative engagement by said detent, means for rotating said pinion for giving said rack bar a longitudinal movement, a brake rigging underneath the car, and means actuated by movement of said rack bar for operating said brake riggmg.

12. A car brake, comprising a housing, a bar extending through said housing, means for moving the bar longitudinaly, holding teeth on the bar, a rock shaft journalled in said housing adjacent to saidbar, a detent mounted on said rock shaft within said. housing so as to be swung by the rock shaft into and out of engagement with said holding teeth, a weighted trip rotatably mounted on the projecting end of said rock shaft, and lugs on said trip and said rock shaft adapted by engagement to cause said detent to be swung by said trip with lost motion therebetween. V

13. In a brake mechanism, a housing provided in its side with a substantially vertical elongated slot and an enlarged opening extending laterally beyond the slot, a rack bar slidable within the housing upon the side of the slot beyond which the enlarged opening projects, said rack bar having a set of teeth and a rib extending longitudinally thereof above the teeth, a mutilated pinion adapted to be passed through the opening and including a hub carrying teethupon a portion thereof, a shaft carrying the-pinion and adapted to operate within the slot, said rib being adapted to engage with the hub of the pinion to prevent lateral movement thereof, so that the pinion can not be withdrawn through said enlarged opening, means to turn the pinion and brake mechanism actuated by the movement of the rack bar.

AUGUSTUS F. KLASING. 

